Couscous Fritters {Leftover Makeovers}

I'm discovering a passion for using leftovers. Even when I am cooking something, I am thinking about what I'll be able to make that last uneaten portion into. Frugality at it's best I like to think. 

Last week, Jacob made some lamb and couscous for dinner. The lamb was perfect. So was the couscous. But there was a lot of it! He had made it with a mix of onions, garlic, silverbeet and currants. So yummy!

The next day, I had over a cup leftover in the fridge. So, I did what people tend to do with quinoa and such, Fritters!

The boy friendly lunch.
Couscous Fritters, baby cos lettuce with carrot 'slaw' and blackcurrant jam for dipping.

If you know how to make fritters, you can really make them from anything. Potatoes, kumara, mixed veggies, lentils, beans beans and more beans. It's all a bit to easy not to try. 

First, whisk the egg then mix in your couscous. Add in the breadcrumbs slowly, a little at a time and mix. You may need less or more depending on the texture of the couscous and what is in it already if you are using leftovers. 

Add in the feta and let it crumble a bit and keep some pretty chunky. I love the texture of big bits of melted feta. Next, you want to be able to make them into balls with your hands and have them stay together. If this isn't happening and it's still too wet, add more breadcrumbs.

Heat up the pan with a bit of oil. I used regular canola oil for this one, but tend to do grapeseed oil when frying. Pop them into the pan and let them brown a little bit and then turn them and flatten a bit with a fork or a spatula. 

They should be browned a bit on each side, it's just the egg you need to make sure cooks through, so it usually won't take any longer than 4-5 minutes on each side. 

Drain them on a paper towel and serve 'em up! I was secretly hoping the boys wouldn't like them so I could have the whole lot, but no such luck. They were, sadly, a hit. 

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Couscous Fritters

by August-11-2014

Ingredients

• 250 g (about a cup) cooked couscous, inc any yummy bits and pieces
• 1/2 to 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2-3 tbsp crumbly feta
• 1/4 cup canola or grapeseed oil

Instructions

1. First, whisk the egg then mix in your couscous. 
2. Add in the breadcrumbs slowly, a little at a time and mix. You may need less or more depending on the texture of the couscous and what is in it already if you are using leftovers. 
3. Add in the feta and let it crumble a bit and keep some pretty chunky. 
4. You want to be able to make them into balls with your hands and have them stay together. If this isn't happening and it's still too wet, add more breadcrumbs.
5. Heat up the pan with a bit of oil. I used regular canola oil for this one, but tend to do grapeseed oil when frying. Pop them into the pan and let them brown a little bit and then turn them and flatten a bit with a fork or a spatula. 
6. They should be browned a bit on each side, it's just the egg you need to make sure cooks through, so it usually won't take any longer than 4-5 minutes on each side. 
7.  Drain them on a paper towel and serve 'em up!

Details

Prep time: 10 min Cook time: 10 min Total time: 20 min Yield: approx 8 fritters

Curry Kumara Puffs - More Freezer Fare! {Leftover Makeovers}

"Snacks!" demanded two crazy wee boys. "Snacks!!!" they yelled again. It was actually time for lunch, but they never yell for lunch. Snack. Snack. Snack! Always a snack. And in my head, I hear "Milk! Milk for the morning cake!" Ugh. Too many kids books!

For these two little men, food is something that must be consumed at all times. There is always a cracker stashed somewhere in the house. Raisins find their way out of books and into their mouths if they are denied a fourth helping of dates. I know they are growing boys (growing like mushrooms according to our 90 year old neighbour) but the consumption levels are incredible. "Astounding!" said the Gruffalo.

I hate throwing away food, and luckily most days there is little that goes to waste. But once in the while, there is a bit of leftover curry or bolognese or roasted potatoes. They get thrown in the fridge or the freezer for tomorrow's lunch for me or... A leftover makeover! (Que the cheezy music and the fancy intro.)

So. Seriously. Veggie Korma. What to do, what to do... Pasties. Pies. Puffs. Samosas. Call them what you want. Well, this version, we call them Curry Kumara Puffs. There was maybe about a half-cup to a cup of korma left over from the night before. So, hello kumara!

We baked a couple kumara (or you can use regular sweet potato, or not sweet potato) for an hour and then let them cool down. You could peel and cook them in a pot I guess, but baking them is a nice "leave it and play with the boys" way of cooking. Once they are cooled, take off the skins and mash them all together with your leftover korma.

While this was tasty on its own, don't eat it all!

Next, roll out some shortcut pastry. You can use the store bought stuff, which I did here, or you can easily make your own. Roll it out until you have a nice thickness, about 5mm or so. Then using a bowl or a big cup that is about 10-12 cm in diameter, trace or press through the pastry to make your circles. Keep doing this and then re-rolling until you've used all of you pastry. 

Now - fill it! I used about a tablespoon and a half in each pastry circle, but use your best judgement with the amount the leftovers you have. Plop it on one half of the pastry and then with a wet finger, dampen the edges of the circles. Carefully fold over and press the edges together. I used a fork to make some silly edges as you can see, but they barely ended up noticable once they were cooked. 

Brush them with some beaten egg and put them into a preheated oven, 200C for about 25 minutes or so. 

Pretty awesome. I put them in the freezer on the baking tray after they cooled a bit. After they were nicely frozen, I then put them into a freezer bag. The boys love them. I love them. Before I go to bed, I take a few out of the freezer, leave them in the fridge and after we get back from an outing before lunch, I put them under the grill for about 15 minutes to warm them through. 

Pretty damn tasty. But I'm a sure for carbs and fluffy crispy pastry!

xx

Persimmon Bundt Cake (and an almost Beetroot Gnocchi.)

The last few weeks have been a bit crazy.
Crazy running and jumping boys.
Me with food poisoning. Bad enough to send me to the doctor finally...
J working multiple weekend nights in a row.
We all need a break.

On top of trying to stay on top of life, I've been trying new recipes here and there... One still needing a bit of work is Beetroot Gnocchi, or rather I have a boatload of leftover roast veggie-gnocchi. They were ok. But just ok. I'm still working on those. I'll get there damn it!

But this one was a winner! We had a few persimmon kicking around in the fridge recently and while I was thinking of a way to use them as a chutney or something, I ended busting out the old bundt cake mould. I hadn't used it in ages and they always make some pretty cakes. I need to start using them more often. 

So this treat was first found here.

I made it minus the currants, which I just forgot (that happens a lot lately, they were sitting on the bench and all! Ugh.) and minus the nuts as you never know who might have a nut allergy these days. 

It's a pretty basic recipe really. Very similar to a pumpkin cake which is always a happy treat for me!

xoxo

Vegan Corn Chowder - Meatless Monday

This weather! Rain, rain and more rain! If this is the start to winter, I'm not sure I'm looking forward to it anymore. Everything is damp, laundry is taking forever to dry, everything smells musty. At least it's not cold... Yet!

Last week, I made this super hearty soup with a heap of leftover corn on the cob that I completely spaced serving at our latest family cook-off. Yeah. It happens. Nobody went home hungry. The corn was not missed. So score for us!

Vegan Corn Chowder

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients :

• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 potato, peeled and diced
• 1 kumara, peeled and diced
• 5 corn cobs, already cooked, kernels removed
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• freshly ground pepper

Method :

1. Saute the onion and garlic in oil for 5 minutes in a large saucepan.
2. Add the celery, carrots, potato and kumara and saute for another 5 minutes.
3. Add the corn kernels and stock to the veggies. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes.
4. Puree with a soup wand or in a blender.
5. Serve up with some freshly ground pepper and done!

I served this with some roasted cabbage and it was amazingly filling! All three boys devoured it! And the leftovers were popped into the freezer.

Enjoy!

x

Leftover Makeover - Risotto Balls

Sheesh! Balls!

Right. Mind back in the right.... Leftovers.

We've been lucky the boys are ok with leftovers, but I feel bad making them eat things for lunch they may have had for dinner the night before. Not to mention, I get bored of eating the same things as well.

One of the MANY dishes that Jacob is amazing at, is his risotto. Amazing. Did I mention amazing? He's got the technique. And the free for all of the garden and the fridge. Maybe.... MAYBE... Someday, he'll write his own risotto post/recipe. Maybe.

Anywho, to get the boys to finish off this super tasty dish...